#28 Help I’ve lost a nail!

Help, I’ve lost a nail.
June 17, 2015 by Lecia Finch

A trip to the nail bar is definitely a treat, a chance to just sit and be pampered, or a part of a weekly grooming routine for some. Nail products are now the strongest growth area of the beauty industry.
You don’t notice it when you’ve been sitting there for a while but have you ever wondered what that aroma that hits you as you come in the door is doing to you? Let alone the poor people working in there!
Have you ever wondered what toxins are in those fabulous shiny colours, that is seeping into your nails?
It could be argued that occasional exposure to these ‘small’ doses of toxins are not harmful but when you combine them with the other fragrances, make up, body lotions and potions that you have already put in your system, you can not brush them off as insignificant. They are adhered to your nails after all!
Many of these ‘chemicals’ have shown adverse effects, even at low doses to in particular pregnant women and children (who are always putting their fingers in their mouths).

Let me tell you about the five main culprits in this chemical war.
Toulene
A solvent used to mix the ingredients, this is the sweet, sharp vapour that is in the air.
Effects to your health : dry or cracked skin, headaches, numbness, eye or throat irritation and in extreme cases (more likely your nail technician) kidney or liver damage.

Phthalates
Oily liquids that help polished nails from becoming dry & brittle. High levels (unlikely to be found in nail polish) can interfere with reproductive hormones and cause eye, skin, nose and mouth irritations.
The use of this is becoming less frequent and is now banned by the European Union.

Formaldehyde
This is used as a polish hardener and preservative, towards bacterial contamination.
It should be avoided if you have had an allergic or skin reaction after using other nail products.

Formaldehyde resin
Known to cause dermatitis.

Camphor
A scent which can cause nausea, dizziness and headaches.

These are just the five main ‘demons’ found in 5 out of 7 polishes in a recent study.

I am telling you about this because it is a lesson that I have learnt from personal experience.
I used to love having my gel manicures, they lasted for weeks without a chip or wear to be seen. But little did I know how I was creating brittle damaged nails and very dry skin and cuticles. The frequent acetone soaks (to get the polish off) can cause allergic reactions and dermatitis around the nail and that is nothing compared to the exposure of the ultraviolet light to harden the gel!!!!
Skin damage even the risk of skin cancer with frequent exposure.

I now only use skin care, body care and cosmetics from reputable five free (or more) companies.

Mint Polish is my nail care of choice, not only do they offer fabulous colours but they are also free from these nasties so everyone can use them without fear.

“We pride ourselves on being more than just a nail polish company – we are a lifestyle brand focused on spreading awareness on girls and women all over the world about potentially hazardous ingredients in cosmetics and more” Greta at Mint polish.

Don’t be silly be sensible, just like children our hands go in our mouths and in our food everyday. Don’t ingest these chemicals in your system via your mouth or your skin, you will regret it!
And as long as you do your Mint manicure properly it can last you for up to two weeks.

Step one : Apply a coat of the fantastic rubberised texture basecoat.
Step two : Colour and let your nails dry properly.
Step three : Apply two coats of the glossy top sealer.
I top up the sealer every other day!

#27 NEVER STOP LEARNING.

One thing I have learnt to love since I was rendered unemployed is cooking.

In an effort to make myself feel better, I went on an investigation into the relationship between food and mood (so to speak)

During this time I found that I actually suffer with a condition called Candida dysbiosis/ overgrowth, leaky gut. This is when yeast spores get out of control in your gut and can cause many different ‘illnesses and diseases’ ie. bloating, IBS like symptoms, skin & nail infections, extreme fatigue, autoimmune problems, brain fog (lack of concentration, memory loss etc), skin issues (eczema, psoriasis, rashes itching), depression, mood swings, all of this and more. So I decided that I would experiment with my diet in order to combat, visits to the GP ( they are busy enough as it is).

Basically diets high in sugar, yeast and carbohydrates make your stomach a playground for these spores. That’s why you get the cravings for these specific foods.

After reading and learning a lot from books by Amelia Freer, Deliciously Ella and many others, I have decided to go clean on my diet. That means I am wheat, dairy and sugar free, most of the time. Obviously this mode of eating is quite difficult to be 100% on when you eat out but easy to maintain at home.

This is my basic essentials list and few recipes that I use over and over again, you can use them as basics and make twists to them according to your tastes as you get more confident and experiment a bit.

I am not a doctor or a nutritionist, but I find this is working for me. And I am really enjoying learning new tricks with food, spices, tastes and ingredients. Now that I have had the time to learn to cook properly I am really enjoying it.x

#26 There’s no need to be nasty.

Another blog with a bit of a rant at people and their lack of social manners.

As you know already I have a small online business www.hatattic.com

Now as a small,start up business I do not have a mega advertising & marketing budget so my only choice is network and social media, digital marketing and constantly mentioning it!

So imagine my surprise when I get a rather spiteful tweet as a reaction to my direct marketing.

Now, we are surrounded every minute of our lives by advertising whether obvious or subliminal, it is there. As intelligent beings we can choose to engage or ignore, depending on our tastes. Sometimes you come across something that initially would not appeal to you but on closer inspection is not what you expected at all and you grow to love it. I have made many new friends, contacts and great discoveries by having the intelligence to investigate.

My advice to everyone is if you don’t like it, ignore it or delete it, don’t try to sabotage the little persons dream by being bitter and nasty, just because it’s ‘not your thing’. We are just trying to make an honest living in the world with no help and using the only means open to us. I actually do feel sorry for you if you feel that you have to be horrid to people and take your bitterness out on them for no reason. I really do wish them a happy and more peaceful life.

Us ‘little people’ are not out there is annoy or antagonize you, you never know if you look closely enough we might even be able to enhance your life.